State Lawmakers Urge Corbett to Stay the Course on Decision to Reject Medicaid Expansion Under ObamaCare

3/1/2013

HARRISBURG – Several PA House Republicans signed on to the following open letter today to encourage Gov. Tom Corbett not to reverse his decision to reject the expansion of Medicaid under ObamaCare for the mutual benefit of patients, doctors and taxpayers.

“Many voices have been raised in recent days urging Governor Tom Corbett to reverse his sound decision to reject the ObamaCare Medicaid expansion. Unfortunately, some of those voices have come from Republicans lured, once again, by the promise of “free” money.

“What we are seeing is the same old Susquehanna two-step, where public officials support policies that funnel tax dollars into private hands, and where corporate interests urge spending to supposedly help the poor; spending that, not coincidentally, puts money into their own pockets.

“Not surprisingly, what the proponents don’t talk about are the unpleasant facts about the Medicaid expansion; for example, that the federal government’s promise to pay for the expansion population will last only two years.

“Federal promises to defray costs of the expansion after that are dubious at best, especially considering the condition of the federal government’s finances. Given that the Obama Administration blames budget constraints for its decisions to withdraw the deployment of an aircraft carrier group to the Persian Gulf, to release illegal aliens, and to cut homeland security; how can anyone believe it can pay for a massive new expansion of an already out-of-control federal entitlement program?

“Regardless of one’s capacity to suspend reality and believe the federal government’s promise to make the payments, the money to pay for all of this still comes out of the same pocket, the taxpayer’s.

“We again congratulate Governor Corbett on his decision to reject the ill-advised Medicaid expansion and encourage him to remain strong. If Governor Corbett doesn’t stand up for Pennsylvania’s silent majority, the men and women who work to support their families and pay taxes, who will?